Razer is combining its various gaming chair add-ons of speakers, RGB lighting, and force feedback into one proof of concept: Project Madison. It features dual RGB light strips in the top corners, a pair of THX-certified speakers with spatial audio (which can act as the rear channels in 5.1 or 7.1 audio setups), and six haptic motor actuators in the cushions to barrage your back and posterior with Razer’s Sensa rumble.
Razer took some of these building blocks from previously released chair accessories. The Razer Clio is a headrest with wireless THX spatial audio speakers. The Freyja is a haptics-filled seat cushion that can go on any chair, and it first debuted at CES 2024 in concept form as Project Esther. And Razer has done an RGB headrest before, with its illuminated logo on the Head Cushion Chroma.
I got to sit in the Project Madison chair for a brief demo at CES, and I can vouch for two of its three features being at least a little engaging: the speakers and haptics. Playing a quick round of Marvel Rivals, I got a nice sense of immersion as I could hear around me without needing to wear headphones. And the different kinds of weapons and character abilities made for varying styles of rumble and haptic sensations in my back and tush.
But you can’t actually see the lighting while playing, unless you take your eyes off the screen and crane your neck. I had to take my colleague at their word that the chair was lighting up and matching the keyboard and mouse Chroma RGB. Perhaps it’s streamer bait, but at least your head doesn’t block the lights like with Razer’s asinine RGB cushion.
Razer isn’t disclosing a potential price range for Project Madison, but it would likely sit toward the top of its priciest offerings if it ever actually comes out. Company reps mentioned that last year’s heated and cooled Project Arielle chair is not going to see a full release, and that’s due to the lofty price Razer would have to charge for it. That doesn’t bode well for Project Madison unless Razer diehards are really clamoring for a chair with all these features built in — but at least they’re features people actually have a history of adopting in modular form.
Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
